“Messi! Messi!” the crowd chanted every time the Argentine captain’s feet touched the ball, but he failed to score before exiting in the 75th minute to a loud ovation.
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ByMichelleKaufman,MiamiHerald
Acrowdof42,000showedupatRaymondJamesStadiuminTampa,Fla.,FridaynightforInterMiami’sfinalpreseasongameagainstOrlandoCityandbasedontheseaofpinkNo.10shirts,manyofthefansweretheretoshowloveforLionelMessionValentine’sDay.
Theysawanentertaininggamethatendedina2-2tie.TheMiamiequalizerwasscoredbyFafaPicaultinthethirdminuteofextratimeonaright-footedshotfromcloserangeafteraRobertTaylorshotreboundedoffanOrlandodefenderatthegoalline.
InterMiamifellbehindearlyonagoalbyMartinOjedaatthe15-minutemarkafteraMiamidefensivelapse,butMiamiequalizedsevenminuteslaterwhenLuisSuarezfoundArgentinenewcomerTadeoAllende,whoknockeditinfromtherightsideatadifficultangle.
The25-year-oldAllendejoinedInterMiamionloanfromSpanishclubCeltaVigolastmonth.ItwasthefifthassistforSuarezinfivepreseasongames.
“Messi!Messi!”thecrowdchantedeverytim
